“No.”
“Maybe I sent it to the wrong address.”
She frowned. “I guess we’ll never know now.”
“Actually…” He reached into his jacket and pulled out a paper from his inside pocket.
Her heart thundered like a jackhammer. “You have it on you?”
Gary nodded then slid it over to her.
Hands shaking, she picked it up. He’d addressed it to her parents’ house, where she’d been living at the time. And across the front written in thick black marker were the words Return to Sender. It was her father’s handwriting.
He’d sent it back without even giving Judy the option to decide if she wanted to read it or not.
Despite the heat of the coffeehouse, her entire body went cold. She looked up at Gary. “I didn’t send this back. My father did.”
Gary’s mouth formed a straight line. “I should’ve known.”
“I’m sorry you thought I didn’t want to read it.”
“You can open it now if you want.”
“Can I read it later?”
“Whenever you want. It’s your letter. I sent it to you, and I meant every word.”
“I’ll read it, but I need to talk to my dad first.” Her hands still shook as she put the envelope in her purse. It took three tries to get it in. “Do you mind taking me back to my place?”
Frowning, he nodded. “Whatever you want.”
What she wanted was to go back in time and take back everything they’d missed out on while he was away. To follow him to the airport and insist they work things out before his flight—maybe even convince him to abandon the trip altogether.
But since that wasn’t possible, she needed to have a frank discussion with her parents.
Chapter 12
Judy struggled to keep her breathing even as she stared at the home she’d grown up in. She’d never been so apprehensive to enter—not after she’d failed that geometry exam and not even after she’d switched majors and had to tell her parents that she’d basically wasted a full quarter taking classes she wouldn’t need after all.
Not that her father had been worried about the classes or her degree. He was so old-fashioned—he thought the only worthwhile degree was her MRS. Like all she was really good for was cooking, cleaning, and raising kids. Yes, she wanted to marry and have children—she dreamed of a full and happy home of her own—but she also wanted to do something with her skills. To have a career and balance that with a family like so many modern women were doing nowadays. And that was something that Gary had always supported.
Maybe that was why her dad had sent the letter back without giving her a chance to decide if she wanted it or not.
Judy cut the engine and marched to the front door, sliding on some ice. She caught herself before falling, dug out her keys, then unlocked the door.
Her dad appeared in the entryway wearing a bathrobe, his eyes wide. “What are you doing here at this hour, Judy? You nearly gave us a heart attack! Is something the matter?”
She clutched her purse which held the letter. “Yes, actually, something is wrong.”
His face paled. “Is Lynda okay?”
“She’s fine. I need to talk to you two.”
“Now?”
“Yes, now. Where’s mom?”
“She’s getting ready for bed—like any reasonable person at this hour.”
“Tell her I’m here, please.” Judy marched past him and plopped down on the couch. Nelly, the old beagle, waddled over and sat next to her feet.
Judy petted her, glad for her support. At least she knew someone in the house had her back.
Her parents appeared then sat across from her.
Mom had curlers in her hair and a thick cream over her face. “Judy, what’s wrong?”
“We need to talk.”
“Is it about the tree cutting? We’re still planning that tomorrow, aren’t we?”
Judy nodded. “This is about something Dad did.”
His brows drew together. “Excuse me, young lady?”
She dug out the envelope and waved it in front of him. “Does this look familiar?”
“Not when you’re doing that.” He snatched it from her hand and stared at it. “No. Should it?”
Judy silently counted to ten and took deep breaths. “It’s a letter Gary sent me. That I never got.” She stared him down.
He gave it another look, then turned back to Judy. “How’d you get this?”
She clenched her jaw. “How do you think?”
“Gary got ahold of you?” His face reddened.
“He’s back in town.”
“And you’re talking to him? After what he did to you?”
“Yes, I am! But what he did pales in comparison to what you did to me.”
“Judy,” her mother warned.
“Don’t defend him, Mom! That wasn’t his letter to return. It was addressed to me! If I wanted to send it back, that was my decision to make—not his!”
Dad’s nostrils flared. “You were crying yourself to sleep every night, and you were just starting to get better when that arrived. What was I supposed to do? Give that letter to you so we could start that cycle all over again?”
“Yes! It wasn’t your decision to make. This was his apology.”
Dad folded his arms. “You deserved better. If Gary wanted to say sorry, he should’ve done it in person. That’s what a real man would have done.”
Everything took on a red hue. Judy squeezed her fists and bit back what she wanted to yell. She took a deep breath before speaking. “Don’t ever talk about Gary like that again. Not that he needs to defend himself to you, but he did apologize to me in person. Then he asked why I didn’t accept his letter. Imagine my shock!”
He leaned forward. “If you’re looking for an apology from me, don’t expect it. I was looking out for my daughter. I’d do it again, given the chance.”
“Even after knowing how upset I am over this?”
“Yes.”
They stared each other down.
Mom cleared her throat. “Does anyone want hot cider?”
“No,” Judy and Dad both replied. Neither took their focus off the other.
“Can’t we just let bygones be bygones?”
Judy turned to her. “How can you say that? Don’t you understand what he did?”
“He was trying to look out for you, honey.”
“No! It was a betrayal, and it was underhanded.”
Dad rose and glowered at her. “I will not be spoken about like this in my own home.”
Judy jumped to her feet and put her hands on her hips. “How about admitting you were wrong?”
He shook his head. “I wasn’t.”
“You were! I’d think you’d understand since you’re so concerned with me getting married.”
“Not to him. Gary Hunter doesn’t deserve you. Not after the way he broke your heart.”
“You don’t get to make that decision! It’s not your choice.”
Dad tilted his head and cocked a brow. “No? Who are you going to get to pay for your wedding if you marry someone I disapprove of? Huh?”
She stared at him, too shocked to reply.
“Forget about him and find yourself a nice guy who will take care of you.”
Judy’s mouth fell open. “I can take care of myself and for your information, nobody would treat me better than him! Nobody!”
Dad scowled. “I can think of several dozen men. In fact, I’d be more than happy to set you up on a date with any one of them.”
It was hard to think straight. She’d never been so furious in all her life. “Tell me one thing.”
“What?”
“Would you put Dustin McGraw on that list?”
“Dustin?” He looked deep in thought for a moment. “He’s not one of the first I thought of, but yes. He’d be a far better choice for you than Gary Hunter.” He said Gary’s name like he was a bug to be squashed.
“I’ll have you know that Du
stin forced himself on me after the dance! He left me alone and crying at the beach in the dark.”
Dad’s crossed arms fell to his sides.
“And Gary’s the one who found me and made sure I was okay. I just wanted change to call Lynda for a ride, but he insisted on seeing me home personally.”
Color drained from his face. “I didn’t—”
“No! You didn’t know, did you?” Judy stormed outside before he could see her tears.
Chapter 13
“You have to come,” Lynda insisted.
Judy shook her head and sipped her coffee. It was black, but still not strong enough to wash away her anger at Dad.
“We go to pick out the Christmas tree as a family every year.”
Judy pulled some hair behind her ear and shook her head again. “Not this year. Take Clyde, then there will still be four people going.”
“Seriously?”
“Yep.” Judy gulped down the rest of her coffee and poured more.
Lynda sighed dramatically. “What can I do to convince you to come?”
“Nothing.” Judy burned her tongue on the coffee.
Her sister threw her an exasperated look. “Come on, Judy. Don’t let this ruin our family tradition.”
Judy stared at the still-unopened envelope. “Blame Dad.”
Lynda’s eyes lit up. “I have a great idea!”
Judy’s stomach knotted. Nothing good ever came from that tone of voice.
“Invite Gary.”
Images of her dad and Gary throwing punches and rolling down a snowy hill filled her mind. “That’s a bad idea.”
“Let Gary show Dad that he’s a good guy.”
“There’s no way that can go well. It’ll end up bloody, I guarantee it.”
“Clyde can get in between them if it gets ugly, but I have a feeling it won’t.”
Judy frowned. She couldn’t see it going any other way.
Lynda put a hand on her shoulder. “Think about it. It’s picking out a Christmas tree. It has to go well. How can people fight during that?”
“You aren’t going to give up, are you?”
“Nope. Get in the shower unless you want Gary seeing you like this.”
Judy looked at her curved reflection on the tea kettle. “What’s wrong with the way I look?”
“You’re in your pajamas with smeared makeup that you forgot to wash off last night.”
Judy groaned. “I’d better call Gary to see if he wants to go. I’m not going without him.”
“I’ll call him, you get ready. What’s his number?”
She pulled the address book out from the drawer and handed Lynda the scrap of paper he’d scrawled his number on. Her heart raced at the thought of spending more time with Gary, even if it meant having to see her dad after finding out about the letter.
Judy practically floated to the bathroom and got ready in a hurry—finally used to the length of her hair. Her stylist had been right, it really did frame her face nicely. Plus, it took so much less time to manage. She was glad she’d cut it, even if it had initially been to show Gary.
What a turn of events!
She turned off the fan and went out to the living room. Jingle Bell Rock blasted through the apartment. Lynda and Clyde were dancing to the music, laughing and having a great time. Judy started to say something, but was interrupted by Gary who seemed to appear out of nowhere and swung her around the room.
Heat crept into her cheeks, and she joined in the laughter. She loved being in his arms so much, especially when compared to her date the other night. Her hand rested on his arm, which flexed as they moved around the room.
The song ended, and Judy waited to see what they would dance to next, but Clyde turned off the radio. “Better get to your parents’ house. They’re expecting us in a few minutes.”
Judy held back a groan. She’d have been more than happy to stay in the tiny living room dancing the day away with Gary.
He grinned at her, melting away her frustration. “That was fun.”
“Sure was. I didn’t expect you to be here.”
“I’m full of surprises. Remember that.” He winked.
They all grabbed their coats and headed into the hallway. Dustin stepped out of his apartment at the same time. Gary made a throaty noise and took a step in his direction.
Judy took his hand. “Let it go.”
He turned to her and frowned.
“He’s not worth it.”
Gary glanced back and forth between her and Dustin. “If that’s the way you want it. But I’d be more than happy to clock him.”
Judy squeezed his hand. “I know, but I like your hands un-bruised.”
“Okay.”
“Are we all driving together?” Clyde asked. “I can drive. My car is as big as Texas and will give us plenty of room.”
Gary arched an eyebrow at Judy.
She shrugged.
“Sure. Or I can drive if you’d rather.”
“I’ll drive.” Clyde led the way to the parking lot and ushered everyone in his car.
Gary leaned close to Judy and whispered, “Not sure I like this guy.”
She whispered back, “Lynda likes guys with big personalities.”
“That’s one way to put it.”
For the entire car ride, Clyde talked about his law firm and what a big shot he was already. Luckily, the drive was short.
As they climbed out of the car, Gary turned to her and they stayed back while Lynda and Clyde went to the door. “Maybe our next date can be alone, or you can introduce me to those friends you were eating with at the diner.”
“You noticed?”
“I couldn’t think of anything other than you once I saw you were there.”
She beamed, and a warmth ran through her. “I might’ve had a similar reaction after I saw you—once I got over the shock. But I’d love to see if Amy and Nichole want to get together. Nichole’s getting ready to head back to Texas—”
“Not another Texan.” He grimaced.
Judy burst out laughing. “She’s nothing like Clyde, I promise. A real sweetheart.”
He glanced over at Lynda and her fiancé. “I hope so. That guy really rubs me the wrong way, and I just met him.”
“We don’t have to pay attention to him or my dad today, okay?”
The corners of Gary’s mouth twitched. “So, I have permission to focus on you?”
“You sure do.” A thrill of excitement ran through her.
He leaned closer, holding her gaze. His eyes were serious and kind. Focused and caring. Intense and full of love. He moved even closer. Her breath hitched. Mouth went dry. Now their lips were only inches apart. She could smell his aftershave. It was rugged and heavenly.
“Is everyone ready?” boomed Dad’s voice. “Everyone climb into my car.”
Gary stepped back.
Disappointment washed through Judy. When were they going to get their second first kiss?
Chapter 14
Gary clenched his fists and took a deep breath. If Judy wasn’t there, he’d have fled. Between her dad’s glares and Clyde’s nonstop boasting, both in the car and outside, it was the most grating tree cutting he’d ever experienced. Clyde and Edgar were clearly already friends—or at least had enough in common to get on like they were.
He did his best to help chop down the tree without getting into a battle of egos with the other men. Over and over, he reminded himself he was there for Judy and wanted to impress her—and that meant not acting like the other guys.
As Clyde and Edgar carried the eight-foot tree down the side of the mountain, Judy came over and looped her arm through his. “Thanks so much for coming. You’ve made this whole thing bearable.”
Gary chuckled. “Glad I can be bearable.”
She pinched his side. “Not you, silly. I’d have been miserable here with my family—”
“And Clyde.”
“Yes, for sure. But with you here, I almost enjoyed myself.”
�
��Almost?” He gave her a teasing glance.
Pink crept into her cheeks. “You know what I mean.”
“Yeah, you’re just fun to tease.”
“Ugh.” She scrunched her face, but her eyes were shining.
Gary put his arm around her as they walked to the parking lot. He bought her a hot apple cider from a little stand then helped the men tie the enormous tree to the top of Edgar’s car. He wondered if they actually enjoyed the bantering or if they were actually so insecure they felt the need to constantly one-up each other. Either way, it was a dynamic he didn’t enjoy or want to join. Thankfully, they just needed to get back to the house, then he could sneak away with Judy.
The whole ride back, he held Judy’s hand, and she scooted as close to him as possible with seatbelt buckles between them. He rubbed her wrist and palm and gazed into her beautiful blue eyes every time she looked at him. They were still flecked with green and even more mesmerizing than he remembered.
His pulse pounded. He really hadn’t expected Judy to warm up to him so fast—if at all. But that was mostly because of the returned letter, but now he knew the truth about that. He glared at Edgar, who laughed loudly at something Clyde said.
He really couldn’t get away fast enough.
Once they got back to Edgar and Ruby’s house, Gary tried to help put up the tree, but it turned into another battle of intellect, so he stood back and let them puff out their chests and fight to be the manliest man.
Judy came over and wrapped her arm around his back. “Sure you don’t want to join them?”
“Tempting, but no.”
The corners of her mouth twitched. “Mom just stuck dinner in the oven and wants us all to stay. You don’t have to. In fact, I’ll pay for a cab if you need to get going.”
He shook his head. “Not to get all macho, but I’m not going to let you pay for my cab. I’ll stay as long as you do.”
“Are you sure?” She glanced over at Edgar and Clyde, who were bickering over the currently crooked tree.
Gary threaded his fingers through hers. “As long as you’re here, I’m staying.”
She squeezed his hand. “Thank you. I’ll tell Mom that we’re staying.” She bounded out of the room.
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